We are proud to welcome one of the most accomplished, talented and awarded artists in the history of music!
An Intimate Evening with Steve Wariner - Rare, Solo Appearance - Live at Cactus Theater!
Friday, October 13, 2023
Doors 6:50 pm • Showtime 7:30
More than twenty-two albums and five decades into his career, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Wariner has become a modern-day multi-genre icon, earning fourteen #1 hits, over 30 Top 10 singles, three Gold albums, four GRAMMY Awards, three CMA Awards, one ACM Award, a Christian Country Music Association Award, a TNN/Music City News Award, a CMA Triple Play Award, and 18 BMI Million-Air Awards. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Musicians Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame, the Music City Walk of Fame, and one of only five guitar players in the world to be given the "Certified Guitar Player" (CGP) award by Chet Atkins.
As an award-winning songwriter, he has composed songs for Clint Black (“Nothin’ But the Taillights”), Garth Brooks (“Longneck Bottle”), Brad Paisley (“More Than Just This Song”) Bryan White (“One Small Miracle”), and Keith Urban (“Where the Blacktop Ends”), as well as songs for artists such as Country Music Hall of Fame members Alabama, Bill Anderson, Kenny Rogers, Conway Twitty and Don Williams; pop music icon Peter Tork (of The Monkees); R&B singer Ruben Studdard; bluegrass icons Del McCoury Band and many more.
Today, he continues to captivate audiences with his sensational voice and guitar prowess and is recognized through his portfolio of work spanning Country, Bluegrass, Rock, Jazz and Pop.
Born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1954, Steve Wariner got his start in music at the tender age of 10, when he played drums in his father’s band. The Noblesville, Indiana-native later learned bass and played in local clubs.
One night while performing in a club in Indianapolis, legendary country singer and Country Music Hall of Fame member, Dottie West, spotted the talented teenager. West convinced the seventeen-year-old to make the bold move from Indiana to Music City to join her band. Upon accepting the offer, Wariner played bass for three years with her before moving on to play in Grand Ole Opry member, Bob Luman’s band. (Luman would go on to record 4 of Wariner’s songs, produced by Johnny Cash).
In the ’70s, Wariner’s life and career forever changed when he met his idol and guitar extraordinaire Chet Atkins through guitar virtuoso Paul Yandell. Atkins hired Wariner to play bass in his band and eventually signed him to his first recording contract at RCA Records in 1977. His first single, “I’m Already Taken,” peaked at #63 on the Country charts and was later re-recorded by country icon Conway Twitty. Wariner’s first Top 40 hit was “Your Memory,” which was released in 1980 and peaked at #7 on the Country charts, and his first #1 single was “All Roads Lead to You,” which was released in 1981.
While on the rise, Wariner left RCA in 1984 and signed with MCA Records, the label that would catapult him to achieve some of his biggest hits spanning into the ’90s, including “What I Didn’t Do,” “Heart Trouble” and “Some Fools Never Learn.” His star began to shine brighter as his music made its way into television. In 1986, he recorded the theme song for ABC’s Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning TV sitcom, “Who’s The Boss?”
Wariner moved over to Arista Records in 1991 where he released his album I Am Ready. Shortly after, he earned his first GRAMMY Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration as a guest vocalist on the single “Restless,” along with instrumentalists Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs and Mark O’Connor.
He followed up this honor in 1998 with two wins at the American Country Music Awards, where “Holes in the Floor of Heaven” won Song of the Year and Single of the Year.
The next year Wariner signed to Capitol Records Nashville where his album, Two Teardrops was certified gold. During that time, he won the GRAMMY Award for Best Country Instrumental as a musician on the Asleep at the Wheel song, “Bob’s Breakdown;” an award he would win again in 2008 for his collaboration with Brad Paisley for the single, “Cluster Pluck” and in 2010 for “Producer’s Medley,” a track on Wariner’s album My Tribute to Chet Atkins.
In 2011, he released Guitar Laboratory, a collection of instrumental songs spanning many genres, including Classical, Country, Jazz, Blues and traditional Hawaiian music. The release of It Ain’t All Bad followed in 2013 and All Over the Map in 2016. Steve released his third Christmas album in 2021, Feels Like Christmas Time.
It’s clear Wariner has a true passion for his profession, and evident through his extensive collection of guitars, including the first one he ever learned to play, the first one he bought, some given to him by Chet Atkins, and his very own limited edition Takamine model. In 2019, Gretsch introduced his signature model, the Nashville Gentleman, which he designed himself with son Ryan and luthier Jeff Senn.
Over the course of his career, Wariner’s passion for writing, playing and singing music remains undiminished. He has served as an extraordinary role model and inspiration to artists in many genres and has become an excellent example of one our industry’s most talented and professional artists, songwriters and musicians, and has proven to be a triple threat: an award-winning recording artist, musician and songwriter.
STEVE WARINER – AWARDS
GRAMMY Awards (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences)
2010 – Best Country Instrumental Performance
“Producer’s Medley” Steve Wariner, c.g.p., My Tribute to Chet Atkins
2009 – Best Country Instrumental Performance
“Cluster Pluck” from Play (Brad Paisley): Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert and Steve Wariner
2000 - Best Country Instrumental Performance
“Bob’s Breakdowns” from Ride with Bob (Asleep at the Wheel)
Steve Wariner and Asleep at the Wheel
1992 - Best Country Vocal Collaboration
“Restless” from Mark O’Connor & the New Nashville Cats
(Mark O’Connor, Steve Wariner, Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill)
To date, Steve Wariner has received 14 GRAMMY nominations.
Awards and Honors:
2022 - Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
2019 - Inducted into the Musicians Hall Of Fame
2018 - Country Radio Broadcasters Career Achievement Award
2011 - Induction into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame
2009 - Inducted into National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame
2008 - Inducted into Music City Walk of Fame
2002 - Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award
2000 - Country Weekly/TNN Fast Track Award
1999 - Orville H. Gibson Guitar Award - Best Male Country Guitarist
1997 - Received official “c.g.p.” (certified guitar player) status from Chet Atkins, who surprised him with a plaque and special recognition
1996 - Country Weekly Instrumentalist of the Year; Grand Ole Opry membership
1995 - CMT Video of the Year for “Workin’ Man Blues” with Lee Roy Parnell and Diamond Rio
BMI Country Awards (total of 16 - partial listing below) Awards presented in honor of writing one of the most-performed songs of the previous year:
2002 - “Where the Blacktop Ends,” “Katie Wants a Fast One”
2001 - “Been There”
2000 - “Two Teardrops,” • “I’m Already Taken”
1999 - “Longneck Bottle,” • “Nothin’ But the Taillights,”
“Holes in the Floor of Heaven”
BMI Million-Air Awards – Total of 18
Reserved Tickets:
Floor, first 6 rows (Rows A-F)......$95
Last 6 rows on floor (Rows G-M)....$85
Standard balcony.........$75
Balcony box (box includes concessions)....$170
